Problem: Find the distance between the points (-5, -2) and (1, -4). ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ $(-5, -2)$ $(1, -4)$ $6$ $2$
Answer: Change in $x$ (-5) Change in $y$ -2 (-4) The distance is the length of the hypotenuse of this right triangle. By the Pythagorean Theorem, that length is equal to: $\sqrt{6^2 + 2^2}$ $= \sqrt{40}$ $= 2\sqrt{10}$